Vacuum seal for dough dividers

ABSTRACT

A vacuum seal is provided in an open top tubular cylinder by a pair of sealing rings mounted respectively on a piston that is reciprocated in the cylinder, and in an annular groove in the upper edge of the cylinder. The sidewall of the cylinder is provided with an inlet opening in flow communication with a hopper from which material, such as dough, for example, is fed into the cylinder above the top of the piston. A metal plate having a flat bottom slides laterally of the cylinder with its flat bottom held in the plane of the open upper end of the cylinder. The metal plate fits against the upper edge of the cylinder and covers its upper end during the downward movement of the piston. The two sealing rings cooperate to seal the cylinder above and below the inlet opening, so that as the piston moves downwardly in the cylinder, it produces sufficient suction to force the dough from the hopper through the inlet opening into the cylinder.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Harold Thomas Atwood Chicago, 111.(14152 Irving Ave., Bolton, 111. 60419) [21 Appl. No. 804,858

[22] Filed Mar. 6, 1969 [45] Patented May 11, 1971 [54] VACUUM SEAL FORDOUGH DIVIDERS 1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 222/383, 417/501, 417/454, 277/165 [51] Int. Cl B67d 5/40[50] FieldoiSearch 103/153,

227, (inquired); 222/409; 417/570, 571, 569, (lnquired); 417/501 454;222/383, 380; 277/216,

l 13,57s,21s

2,998,781 9/1961 Triebel Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk AssistantExaminer-H. S. Lane AttorneyBenjamin Schlosser ABSTRACT: A vacuum sealis provided in an open top tubular cylinder by a pair of sealing ringsmounted respectively on a piston that is reciprocated in the cylinder,and in an annular groove in the upper edge of the cylinder. The sidewallof the cylinder is provided with an inlet opening in flow communicationwith a hopper from which material, such as dough, for example, is fedinto the cylinder above the top of the piston. A metal plate having aflat bottom slides laterally of the cylinder with its flat bottom heldin the plane of the open upper end of the cylinder. The metal plate fitsagainst the upper edge of the cylinder and covers its upper end duringthe downward movement of the piston. The two sealing rings cooperate toseal the cylinder above and below the inlet opening, so that as thepiston moves downwardly in the cylinder, it produces sufficient suctionto force the dough from the hopper through the inlet opening into thecylinder.

Patented- May 11, 19-71 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 INVENTOR HAROLD r ATM/000ATTORNEY Patgnted May 11, 1971 3,578,218

2 Sheets-Sheet lNVE/VTOR HAROLD T. ATM 00D A TTORNEY ture;

not described in the following specification, but are fully described inthe above identified patent, 7

In a dough divider constructed in accordance with the present invention,a supply of dough is held in a hopper having a lower open end inregister with a sidewall opening in a tubular cylinder. A piston isslidably mounted in the tubular cylinder with its top surface below thelower edge of the sidewall opening in the lowermost position of thepiston. As

the piston moves downwardly in the cylinder it creates suction to drawthe dough into the cylinder. As the piston moves up-.

wardly, it pushes part of the dough from the cylinder into an invertedscaling cup. The scaling cup is mounted on a flat bottom plate thatslides over the top of the cylinder to close its upper end when thescaling cup is in its discharge position.

The structure by means of which the above-mentioned and other advantagesof the invention are attained will be fully described in the followingspecification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingsshowing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

HO. 1 is a perspective view of the cylinder structure with parts cutaway to show the sealing means:

:- .Fl G. 2 is a vertical-sectional view of the lower sealing struc-FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the upper sealing structure;

FIG. 4 is a detail perspective view of the piston with portions brokenaway to show the means for securing the lower sealing ring to thepiston;

HO. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the piston and lower seal;and s FIG. 6 isa detail perspective view, on a reduced scale, of thelower sealing ring.

In the drawings, a piston 11 is slidably mounted in a tubular cylinder12. Thesidewall of the cylinder 12 has an inlet opening 13 having itslower edge located above the top of the piston when the piston is in itslowermost position. The inlet opening 13 is in flow communication with.the open lower end of a hopper 14 adapted to hold a supply of dough. Theforce of gravity will cause a small quantity of the dough to flow intothe cylinder, but the flow is too slow fora commercially successfuldough dividing operation. Therefore the flow of the dough is assisted bysuction created in the cylinder when the piston is moved downwardly.

The cylinder must be sealed efficiently above and below the inletopening during the downward movement of the piston to enable the pistonto create enough suction to force the dough into the cylinder. Thepiston comprises an upper portion 15 secured to a lower portion 16 by ascrew or bolt 17. The lower end of the upper portion of the piston hasan annular recess 18 providing a downwardly directed annular shoulder19. A sealing ring 20 is seated in the recess 18 with its upper edgepressed against the shoulder 19 by a backup, washer 2!. The

washer 21 comprises a horizontal portion 22 secured to the piston byscrews 23, and a vertical flange 24 abutting the lower edge of thesealing ring.

The sealing ring 20 is laminated, and comprises an inner ring 25 of anysuitable elastomeric material, such as polyurethane, for example, bondedto an outer metal ring 26 that is preferably cast iron. The metal ringis split, as indicated at 27, so that it can be spread slightly tofacilitatemounting it on the piston. The outside diameter of the sealingring is slightly greater than the outside diameter of the piston. Theelasticity of the inner ring pennits it to be compressed slightly, andits resiliency insures a tight sealing engagement between the outersurface of the metal ring and the inner wall surface of the cylinder.

The top of. the piston 11 is cut at an angle of 45 to provide aninclined top surface 28 with its uppermost edge 29 in vertical alignmentwith the inlet opening 13. On the upward stroke of the piston, theuppermost edge of the piston moves into engagement with the doughextending through the inlet opening and starts to cut it off adjacentthe lowermost edge of the inlet opening. The angle of inclination of thetop surface of the piston makes the uppermost edge 29 rather sharp, thusincreasing the efficiently of the-piston as a cutting element for thedough. The inclined top surface of the piston also guides the doughinwardly of the tubular cylinder as it is cut off from the mass of doughin the hopper. As the piston 11 moves upwardly it pushes some of thedough through the open top of the cylinder into an inverted scaling cup30. The quantity of dough forced into the scaling cup is limited by aflat disc 31 slidably mounted in the scaling cup. The disc 31 is mountedparallel to the inclined top surface 28 of the piston. The scaling cupis mounted on a flat bottom plate 32. The plate 32 is reciprocated tomove the scaling cup into and out of register with the open top of thetubular cylinder.

The plate 32 is held against the top surface of the cylinder,

which is also parallel to the top surface of the piston 11, by a 4 pairof guide members 33 and 34. The inclined top surface of the cylinder 12has an annular groove 35 in which a sealing ring 36 is seated. Thesealing ring 36 comprises an upper metal ring 37 and a lower ring 38 ofpolyurethane or other elastomeric material bonded thereto. Theresiliency of the elastomeric ring 38 insures an efficient sealingengagement between the plate 32 and the upper edge of the cylinder 12when the plate covers the open top of the cylinder. The plate is inposition to cover the top of the cylinder, and thus make the sealeffective, when the piston is moving downwardly in the cylinder. Theinlet opening is completely closed by the dough in the lower end of thehopper.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of the invention inconsiderable detail, it will be understood that the description thereofis intended to be illustrative, rather then restrictive, as many detailsof structure may be modified or changed without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to berestricted to the exact structure described.

lclaim:

1. In combination, a tubular cylinder having an open upper end disposedangularly relative to the axis of said cylinder, a metal plate having asmooth lower surface seated on the upper end of said cylinder, aretainer member engaging opposite edges of said plate to hold it againstthe upper edge of said cylinder, said plate being movable laterallyrelative to said cylinder, an annular groove in said angularly disposedupper edge of said cylinder encircling the opening therein, a flatannular elastomeric ring seated in said groove, and a flat annular metalring having the same inside and outside diameters as the elastomericring and seated in said groove on top of said elastomeric ring, saidmetal ring having a smooth upper surface, said elastomeric ring pressingsaid metal ring upwardly to form a seal between said cylinder and saidplate throughout the flat surface area of said metal ring, a hopperadjacent said cylinder, an inlet opening in the sidewall of saidcylinder that is completely covered by material held in said hopper andproviding flow communication of said material from said hopper into saidcylinder, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, and a sealing ringmounted on said piston, said' sealing ring comprising a metal striphaving a smooth outer surface-engaging the inner wall surface of saidcylinder and an elastomeric strip bonded to the inner surface of saidmetal strip, said elastomeric strip pressing the smooth surface of saidmetal strip into sealing engagement with the inner wall-surface of saidcylinder, said sealing ring being located below the lower edge of saidinlet opening in all positions of said piston, whereby downward movementof said piston in said cylinder creates suction to suck material fromsaid hopper into said cylinder.

1. In combination, a tubular cylinder having an open upper end disposedangularly relative to the axis of said cylinder, a metal plate having asmooth lower surface seated on the upper end of said cylinder, aretainer member engaging opposite edges of said plate to hold it againstthe upper edge of said cylinder, said plate being movable laterallyrelative to said cylinder, an annular groove in said angularly disposedupper edge of said cylinder encircling the opening therein, a flatannular elastomeric ring seated in said groove, and a flat annular metalring having the same inside and outside diameters as the elastomericring and seated in said groove on top of said elastomeric ring, saidmetal ring having a smooth upper surface, said elastomeric ring pressingsaid metal ring upwardly to form a seal between said cylinder and saidplate throughout the flat surface area of said metal ring, a hopperadjacent said cylinder, an inlet opening in the sidewall of saidcylinder that is completely covered by material held in said hopper andproviding flow communication of said material from said hopper into saidcylinder, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, and a sealing ringmounted on said piston, said sealing ring comprising a metal striphaving a smooth outer surface engaging the inner wall surface of saidcylinder and an elastomeric strip bonded to the inner surface of saidmetal strip, said elastomeric strip pressing the smooth surface of saidmetal strip into sealing engagement with the inner wall surface of saidcylinder, said sealing ring being located below the lower edge of saidinlet opening in all positions of said piston, whereby downward movementof said piston in said cylinder creates suction to suck material fromsaid hopper into said cylinder.